05.02.2015.
For the first time no Croatian player in the quarterfinals
For the first time in the ten years long history of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors there will be no Croatian players in the quarterfinals of the singles competition. The last one who was left in the draw before Thursday's matches, Ivan Dodig, was beaten by eighth-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers (pictured) by 7:6 (8), 4:6, 6:3 in the second round.
It could have gone the other way though. Dodig squandered five set points in the opening set: one at 5:4, two at 6:5 and two more in the tie-breaker. He still managed to level the score by winning the second set, but he lost serve trailing 3:4 in the third set and Granollers took his chance.
"First set was crucial. I had a lot of chances and failed to take opportunity", Dodig said. "First set drained a lot of energy out of my body. My legs were slower and serve was affected as well."
Granollers agreed that first set was very important.
"It was tough. I remember when we played here four years ago and I lost easily. This time I played better than then", Granollers said. "I feel sorry for the crowd, with no Croats left now in the draw, but Croats won so many titles here before."
Two seeded players lost on Thursday and among them was the second-seeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. He lost to Igor Sijsling from the Netherlands, who was once again very tough oppoment. It was their first ATP-level meeting but fourth counitng the Challengers and Sijsling won each time, but now for the first time in three sets (7:6, 4:6, 6:1).
Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania defeated fourth-seeded Giles Muller from Luxembourg, who was within two points from victory, after winning the first set and leading 5-2 in the tie breaker of the second set. Third-seeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez lost only two games against Damir Dzumhur from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Viktor Troicki recorded an under-an-hour victory against Go Soeda from Japan. Andreas Seppi from italy reached his first quarterfinal in Zagreb since 2006 after defeating James Ward from Great Britain.
It could have gone the other way though. Dodig squandered five set points in the opening set: one at 5:4, two at 6:5 and two more in the tie-breaker. He still managed to level the score by winning the second set, but he lost serve trailing 3:4 in the third set and Granollers took his chance.
"First set was crucial. I had a lot of chances and failed to take opportunity", Dodig said. "First set drained a lot of energy out of my body. My legs were slower and serve was affected as well."
Granollers agreed that first set was very important.
"It was tough. I remember when we played here four years ago and I lost easily. This time I played better than then", Granollers said. "I feel sorry for the crowd, with no Croats left now in the draw, but Croats won so many titles here before."
Two seeded players lost on Thursday and among them was the second-seeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. He lost to Igor Sijsling from the Netherlands, who was once again very tough oppoment. It was their first ATP-level meeting but fourth counitng the Challengers and Sijsling won each time, but now for the first time in three sets (7:6, 4:6, 6:1).
Ricardas Berankis from Lithuania defeated fourth-seeded Giles Muller from Luxembourg, who was within two points from victory, after winning the first set and leading 5-2 in the tie breaker of the second set. Third-seeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez lost only two games against Damir Dzumhur from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Viktor Troicki recorded an under-an-hour victory against Go Soeda from Japan. Andreas Seppi from italy reached his first quarterfinal in Zagreb since 2006 after defeating James Ward from Great Britain.